RAWALPINDI: Underlining one of the major gains of an ongoing anti-terror operation in the country, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor says Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesperson Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and a senior Jamaat-ul-Ahraar leader, has surrendered to the security forces.

The DG ISPR said armed forces launched the operation Radd-ul-Fasaad with a sole aim of wiping out terrorism and militancy and maintains that the crackdown on militants is going on in full swing.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said no force could challenge the state if it had a will to eliminate terrorism.

He said certain forces now also realize that they were treading a wrong path after witnessing writ of the state in the country. The success of operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was directly linked to restoration of the writ of the state, he added.

‘Gains in anti-terror operation’

He recalled that the Operation Raddul Fasaad was launched on February 22, and so far 15 grand operations were launched against the militants in different parts of the country in which 4,510 suspects were apprehended.

“4,535 intelligence based operations were conducted, while 723 joint check posts were established across the country,” he said.

He underlined that 1859 illegal afghan immigrants were also arrested under the operations. Those who were not criminals, they were released immediately, he added.

Former TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan

Giving breakdown figure of operations across the country, the DG ISPR said four big operations were conducted in Balochistan and eight in Khyber Pakhtonkhwa.

He said 558 Ferraris surrendered themselves before Army.

Gen Ghafoor said two major operations were also launched in Punjab in which several major terrorists were held.

He said nature of operation in Karachi was different and dispelled the impression that operation had been slowed down in the provincial capital of Sindh. He said 4,083 illegal weapons were seized during countrywide operations.

“At least 108 terrorists were killed in exchange of fire under Operation Radd-ul-Fassad,” he said.

The spokesman for military forces said two grand operations were conducted in Punjab. 2,652 intelligence based operations carried out, 625 joint check posts set up. 3, 139 suspects arrested, 345 unregistered Afghans held, while 1088 weapons and 121,000 ammunitions were recovered from the province.

“The rate of crimes and terrorist activities have slumped down from the previous years,” he said.

On fencing

To make borders more secure, Pakistan Army has in cooperation with Frontier Corps started constructed new posts and forts along the western border. 338 posts/ forts will be built along Pak-Afghan border till 2019, he said.

On fencing along the border, he said the Pak-Afghan border is spread on 2611 km, out of that 744 km border is crossing through Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which will be fenced entirely. In the first phase, 100km of area along Bajaur and Mohmend will be fenced, he said adding that after fencing along KP border will be completed, then border along Balochistan will be fenced.

Ceasefire violations along LoC

India is repeatedly violating ceasefire along LoC to divert world attention from the political movement run by citizens in held Kashmir and from brutalities being inflicted upon the innocent inhabitants of the valley, he said.

Giving details of violations, he said, “Ceasefire violations along Line of Control (LoC) have escalated. 315 times ceasefire was violated in 2014, 248 times in 2015, 382 times in 2016, while 222 ceasefire violations have been made to date in the following year.”

He also said four civilians have been martyred and 24 others injured in these ceasefire violations this year.

‘ISIS targeting youth’

He said the target of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), global terror outfit also known as Islamic State and Daesh, is youth and they were using the technology to reach their targets.

He urged the parents and education institutions to keep check on children and make sure misuse of technology be averted at all levels.

To a question regarding Dawn leaks, the DG ISPR said he hoped that interior minister will issue a statement on the matter in couple of days.

DG ISPR shows video of IS-trained Noreen Laghari

A video statement of Jamshoro university student Noreen Laghari, who had gone missing from Sindh and was later arrested during security forces raid in Lahore, was also screened during the press briefing, in which the young lady confessed to have been trained as suicide bomber by the militants.